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Maegan Dunn
My Family My name is Maegan Dunn. I was born on February 6, 1991 in Tulsa, Okla. at St. Francis Hospital. My parents, Terry and Cindy Dunn, raised my brother, Matt, and I in Tulsa my entire life. Though my extended family consists of numerous grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, they are who I call my family. They also instilled in us a love for God and family. You might think we are just another typical Southern family, and you might be right, but I am so thankful for the way I was raised. Though I have strong beliefs, I was never taught by my parents to be rude or hateful to people who are different than me. It did not matter who they were or where they came from if they needed a family, they were welcome to join ours. One of the big things I remember growing up is my parents emphasizing the importance of school in us. My father never attended college. My mom earned several college credits but never received a degree which I think really bothered her. Today, I’m about to graduate with my Bachelors of Arts while two years ago my brother graduated with his Bachelors of Business in Finance. My family has also grown. Last year my brother and girlfriend of 4 ½ years got married by Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada line. Elise is the most amazing woman and I do not think I could have picked a better person to be my sister. Now my mother cannot wait for grandkids. pics - maegan 3_Page_04.jpg|My dad, mom, brother and I on Easter. family2.jpg|Me, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, & Father at my brother's wedding. My mother and father raised me in the Apostolic Pentecostal faith. Although growing up my parents took me to church whether I wanted to go or not, I now freely choose to believe this way. It was hard for friends to understand that freewill choice in high school. Sometimes it seems some believe that we are a, for lack of a better word, cult because of the way we dress but, we are not. Though many may view our beliefs as too conservative and naïve, I was not taught “blind faith.” I choose the way I live my life. =The Brill Family= About My mother’s side of the family is the Brills. This is the family who are in all of my childhood memories. This side is the crazy, loud, obnoxious, amazing family who I would do anything for in a heartbeat. There are my grandparents, Curtis and Dorothy, my mom’s siblings, Curtis, Larry and Sheryl, their spouses, their children, their children’s spouses, and their grandchildren. It’s dizzying, I know. Counting everyone there are thirty-six of us. My grandparents, Curtis and Dorothy Brill, were practically my second parents. Growing up my mother worked so my grandmother kept my brother, myself and several of my cousins. One story my mother and grandma love to tell is one when I was 3 years old. My parents had just moved us to a new house across the street from my grandparents and I was extremely tired and cranky. After putting me down for a nap, my mom and grandma were working in the kitchen but could still hear me whining from my room. When my grandmother came to check on me, I loudly cried “No, not you, I want that other mother!” They still to this day think that is hilarious that I believed my grandma was my mother also and that I referred to my mom as the “other mother.” lilmebdayparty.jpg|Cousins Monica, Lynette & Melissa with my brother and I on my 2nd birthday. pics - maegan 2_Page_29.jpg|My cousins, brother and I with my great-grandmother Dorothy pics - maegan 2_Page_42.jpg|My cousins, brother and I with my grandparents Dorothy & Curtis pics - maegan 3_Page_54.jpg|My grandparents and I before my junior prom. My aunts, uncles and cousins were always around too. During the summer my grandma would keep at least five of the grandchildren while our parents worked. We would get into all kinds of trouble! I remember climbing the trees in the back yard and climbing onto the roof via the front porch rails. It was definitely a hopping good time at grandmas. There are always extra people at my grandparents’ house for holidays, birthdays or just when we get together for no reason. This past Easter there were 40 people at my grandma’s house and 15 of them weren’t even related. It has always been that way. My mother has told me numerous stories about several families coming over after church on Sunday nights to eat and play games. Religious Beliefs My grandparents were both raised Apostolic Pentecostal. I know at least two generations before them were also Pentecostal. My grandparents have been devoted saints in their church, serving in many roles from youth leaders, greeters, and deacon. One of the most vivid stories I remember being told is how my grandparents helped build the church I grew up in. My grandparents, along with many other families, sold peanut brittle to raise money for the church building materials. My grandfather and other men in the church were among those who actually built the church. I love the passion they had for what they believed in and followed through with both their words and actions. Not all of this side of my family is Pentecostal. They have chosen other faiths or chosen to not practice faith at all but my family has never treated them differently. Unlike stories I’ve heard of being disowned for not following their family, I am so thankful my family acts that way. Though we may not agree with other’s choices, it is not for us to judge or be hateful. God is love. Ancestry Since I was so close with this side of my family, it was hard to believe I did not know more about our ancestry. My grandmother’s ancestry was never a secret. Her family is Cherokee Indian. Her mother’s grandfather, Thomas S. Foster, signed the roll and made it possible for the rest of my family to be officially acknowledged by the Cherokee Nation . My grandmother’s father’s ancestry is unknown. My grandfather’s family came from Germany. My great, great, great grandparents (on his father’s side) emigrated from Germany and gave their family the chance at the American dream. His grandparents moved to Ohio. When my grandpa’s father was old enough he moved to Oklahoma and met his wife, my great grandma. My grandpa did not know where his mother’s family originated from but they moved across America from Kentucky to Missouri. My great grandma (my grandpa’s mother) moved from Missouri to Oklahoma with her family in a covered wagon. Looking into my grandma and grandpa’s family histories, I found where my grandpa’s mother signed the 1940 Oklahoma Census for him in Mounds, Okla. He was only 3 years old. I also found my grandmother’s name on the 1940 Oklahoma Census . She was only 2 years old. =The Dunn Family= About My dad’s side of the family is more of a mystery. Though the majority of them live in Tulsa also, I rarely spent time with them growing up. This side is more quiet and non-involved in each other’s lives. Born in Texas, my father’s childhood was spent moving around frequently because his dad’s job. He was the oldest of four boys who liked to get into trouble. I remember Gramma (what I call my dad's mother) telling stories about the boys’ shenanigans with the neighbors. When my dad was in his late teens, his mother and father got a divorce. His father remarried and had two more children. I have only met my grandfather, his wife and their children once in my life. My grandma remarried also but never had any more children. The man she married, my Papa Sid, had several children of his own but I’ve really only known one of them. Religious Beliefs I do not know if my father was raised in a certain faith. Today, his mother is a devout Catholic who attends Mass regularly and my dad’s father’s religious beliefs are unknown. One of my father’s brothers, Tim, regularly attends a non-denominational church with his wife and son. My other two uncles do not attend church as far as I know. Ancestry With no contact with my dad’s father, I could not ask him from where his family came. I do remember a teacher of mine who researched my classmates and my family history. From what I remember, the Dunn family is Irish. The original spelling for my last name is O’Dunne or O’Dunn. Somewhere one of my ancestors dropped the ‘O’ and “e” from the name. =Family Tree= =Gender Roles & Expectations= My family is a fairly typical southern family. The women prepare the food and the men eat it. Even though the gender roles are set in that aspect, I was never discouraged to go after my dreams. My grandparents have been one of my biggest supporters while at college. They constantly tell me how proud they are of me. It is how my whole family acts to each other. We may be southern but we are all for following your dreams and not letting your gender hold you back. =Reflection= After researching my family history and thinking about our attitudes and beliefs, I started thinking more about how my ancestors lived and what they were like. I have a very diverse ancestry with roots to Germany, Ireland and Native America. Even though my German ancestors were already in America when the Holocaust took place, were they discriminated against because of their ethnicity? My Cherokee ancestors went through the Trail of Tears and experienced horrific pain and suffering. This boggles my mind to think about what my ancestors experienced. With the rise of social media in the past decade, my generation had a platform to display their every problem. But are they really that significant compared to what happened to those before us? I am not really sure. Category:Students